Inson



(No Model.)

H. Y. DIGKINSONt FIGURE TOY.

No. 444,088. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

UNITED! STATES HERBERT YOUNG DIOKINSON, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

FIGURE'ToY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,088, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed May 9, 1890. nSerial No. 351,197. (No model.)

Patented in England January 2, 1888,1Io. 37; in France January 20,1888,N0.188,251; in Germany January 26, 1888, No. 46,066, and in Belgium December 4, 1889, No. 88,729.

To ali whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT YOUNG DICK- INsON, of 140 Inverness Terrace, Bayswater, London, W., a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented an improved Automatic` Tight-Rope Walker, of which the following is a specification.

From a rope tightly stretched, one end of which is higher than the other, so as to form an incline, I suspend a pendulum, the rod of which has two branches which end in separate points of support a little distance from one another on the tight rope. The directions of oscillation of the pendulum are toward the ends of the tight rope. It will now be seen that if the pendulum oscillates it will be supported on each arm of the rod alternately. The more forward of the two branches above referred to is formed by the two arms A and A', which form au acute angle with each other, and these arms are bent and continued backward horizontally, terminatingin joints, so that this forward branch can bend either way in the plane of oscillation of the pendulum, and I provide a small weight or spring to keep it bent at the joint, so that the two points of support are brought closer to one another. If I now set the pendulum in oscillation when the point of support is on the forward branch, the weight of the pendulumbob will cause this arm to straighten, and thus separate the two points of support, throwing the xed arm forward, which in the return swing of the pendulum will give its support lower down on the tight rope, and the forward branch being relieved of weight will bend again. Thismovement continues at each oscillation of the pendulum and forms a kind of esoapement, the motive power of the movement being derived from the descension of the weight down theinclined tight rope by steps. In some cases I fix a figure of a man or other animal above the tight rope, one leg being fixed to each point of suspension of the pendulum, which, when the pendulum is in oscillation, gives a walking movement to the ligure. I do not confine myself to using a rope; but any other inclined surface-such as a rod or board-will answer the purpose.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate my invention by three separate figures.

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective drawings showing my tight-rope walker above the rope, and Fig. 3 shows my improvements adapted for an animal.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through the several figures or views.

In Figs. l and 2 I show the figure of a man above the rope L, and the positions the legs of the man come to while the weighted rod is oscillating, and at Fig. 3 I show the ligure of a horse.

A A are two arms formed by looping a wire. Thelower ends of this loop are bent at about right angles backward, as rods B B', and terminate in a curl or eye at O O', into which the lower ends D D of a similarly-shaped loop E E are passed and form a joint. The end of the loop E stops short; but the end of the loop E has an extension F bent forward, which carries a weight G on its end. Upon one of the arms A A is soldered the sleeve II, in which is free to slide awire J, formed at the top end with a shoulder I to prevent it falling out of the sleeve H, and provided at the bottom end with a fixed weight K. This wire J thus serves as a pendulum, the lowest end of which has a balance or swinging weight K, as aforesaid, which when set swinging or oscillating causes, when in the forward stroke, the loop A A to lift from the cord L and at the same time to travel forward, the other loop E E being in contact with the cord L as a fulcrum, the loop A A thus moving to an extent due to the arc of vibration of the pendulum. The wire J is made to slide within the sleeve H for the convenience of packing the whole contrivance into small space. The pendulum J in the return or backward stroke transfers the fulcrum-point from the back loop EE to the front loop A A', and as the pendulum travels through the return arc of vibration it causes the back loop E E to lift from the cord L the small weight G, then. by descending causes the back loop E E to move toward the front loop, whereby a succession of steps are made by the two loops, which when the ligure of a man or of an animal is allixed to the two loops give the legs the appearance of walking on a stretched cord, like that of a tight-rope walker. In the ease of an animal, as at Fig. 3, I attach the two hind legs to the body by separate pins, so that when the appliance is fitted on the inclined cord the swaying to and fro of the pendulnn'iweight causes the loops to more in a similar manner to that before described, whereby an animal, say a horse, is represented as wall;- ing down a tight rope by a stiep-by-step lnovement.

Having now particularlydescribed and ascertained the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. The combination, in a ligure toy having its legs pivoted to its body, of a looped wire rigidly attached at its middle point to the forward foot, bent lirst downwardly and then rearwardly and having its ends formed into loops or eyes, with a second looped wire pivoted near its center to the rearward fooi, its ends projecting downward and then bent outward at right angles to pass loosely through the looped ends of the rst wire, one end of said second loop being extended and bent forward to forni a crank, said eranl; being weighted at its end, and a second weight attached to and beneath the first wire and acting as a pendulumebob thereon, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The co1nbination,in a ligure toy having its legs pivoted to its body, of a looped wire rigidly attached at its middle point to the forward foot, bent first downwardly and then rearwardly and having its ends formed into loops or eyes, with a second looped wire pivoted near its center to the rearward foot, its ends projecting downward and then bent outward at right angles to pass loosely through the looped ends of the iirst wire, one end of said second loop being extended and bent forward to form a crank, said crank being weighted at its end and a sleeve rigidly attached to the forward wire, the pendumm-weight rigidly attached to 011e end of a rod, the other end of which is headed, said wire rod sliding vertically in said sleeve, all substantially as dcscribed, and for the purposes setforth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT YOUNG DICKINSON.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK GEORGE CAPELL, ALBERT EDWARD ELLEN.

Boih of 37 Chancery Lane, London, l/V. C'. 

